When compared with other soot particles, the diesel soot penetrates deeper into the lungs because of the smaller size of the particle. These soot particles can cause lung cancer and some other diseases, and it not only affects the health but also contributes to global warming.

Diesel soot is a fresh by product of diesel combustion, which is basically a complex directly emitted carbon core particle, it also includes secondary particles such as sulphates, nitrates and organic particles. The carbon soot particles attracts the other metals and toxic substances (cancer causing aldehydes and polyclinic aromatic hydrocarbons) produced by the diesel engine on its surface.

This diesel soot is a risk factor for many health-related problems such as lung cancer, cardiovascular problems, heart attacks and strokes in adults. The children may have upper and lower respiratory problems, retardation of lung growth and crib death, as per Clean Air Task Force, a clear air task force.

Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, is working on the reduction of health risk due to diesel exhaust. They have taken the required measures to improve the diesel fuel and diesel engines, which will reduce some of the pollutants associated with diesel exhaust. The ARB's Diesel Risk Reduction Plan will result in 75 percent to 85 percent reduction in particle emissions from diesel equipment by 2020. this plan includes the usage of cleaner-burning diesel fuel, using new diesel engines and retrofitting of existing engines with particle-trapping filters.

Apart from this, we can use alternate fuels such as natural gas, propane and electricity instead of using diesel. The alternate fuels cause lesser pollution when compared to diesel.